


I Wish...

by amythestice



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Dumbledore Being a Dick, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 18:32:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11408133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amythestice/pseuds/amythestice
Summary: A babysitter's movie choice, a wish, and Dumbledore's plans get thrown into disarray.





	I Wish...

Harry sat huddled in his cupboard, leaning against the door, listening to the film that Dudley’s babysitter had put on. He didn’t think that his aunt and uncle would approve of this film, it sounded a lot like magic, with goblins and wishes. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore that he badly needed the toilet, he had been warned when he had been shoved in here this morning that if they had any hint that the sitter had found out he was there, he would get the worst punishment he had ever had in his life.

“I wish the Goblins would come and take _me_ away right now,” he whispered, a tear running down his face.

There was a crash of thunder and a bright flash that he took to be lightning, making him flinch back from the door, his hands pressed firmly over his mouth to stifle a whimper of fear as the TV fell silent and the thin light filtering into his cupboard went out.

There was the sound of soft footsteps closing on his cupboard, and he shrank back from the door, hoping the sitter wouldn’t come looking in his cupboard for a torch, he didn’t want to be punished because there had been a power cut.

The door swung open and he huddled as far back as he could, curling up as small as he could.

“There is little use hiding from me child, the wish has been made, what is said is said,” a strange voice spoke from the doorway.

/x/

Jareth considered the tiny form cowering at the back of the cupboard, and that he had opened the locked door from the outside, and sighed, going down on one knee to reduce the intimidation factor of his appearance.

“Come here child,” he said firmly.

There was a pause, and then the child began to inch toward him, his sharp ears picking up a constant stream of ‘I’m sorry’ from the little boy. He took in the thin, bruised, fragile looking child, and then glanced over his shoulder at the frozen figures of a fat blob seated in front of the television beside a young woman.

Turning back to the boy, he reached out and grasped his chin gently, pushing his head up so he could see tear filled green eyes and a scar on the child’s forehead,

“What is your name, child?” he asked.

“Freak, sir, or boy,” he whispered fearfully.

Jareth frowned, he could feel human magic around this child, a wizard unless he was much mistaken.

“Well, that won’t do, we will have to find your real name. You made a wish for the Goblins to take you, that wish cannot be undone. You will be coming with me now,” Jareth told him.

“Please sir, I need to use the toilet,” he said, squirming on the thin mattress.

“Do so, then return here immediately,” Jareth told him, rising and stepping back to allow the tiny child to scramble from the cupboard.

As the boy scrambled upstairs to the bathroom, Jareth took the opportunity to examine the inside of the cupboard more closely, seeing traceries of blood, the thin, unwashed mattress and blanket, and the complete lack of any comfort at all, it juxtaposed sharply with the fat boy on the plush sofa even in that limited perusal. Walking through the lower floor of the house, he could see photographic images of the fat boy everywhere, but no sign of the smaller child anywhere other than the miserable cupboard.

“Was there any other space that was yours?” he asked without turning, sensing the boy behind him.

“No sir.”

“You address me as ‘your Majesty’, young one, I am the Goblin King.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” the boy said obediently.

“How old are you?”

“I don’t know your Majesty.”

Jareth turned and looked down at the boy, who had his eyes fixed firmly on the floor, then looked around the ground floor of the house once more. Normally he would erase the memories of anyone connected to a wish away, but he had a feeling that the people connected to this boy would deserve all of the troubles a missing child could bring them.

“Come, we will go and find out who you are, and then we will go to the Goblin kingdom,” he instructed, holding one gloved hand out to the boy.

Normally he wouldn’t bother, he would simply take the wish away, and if there was no run, turn them into a creature of the underground, but there were factors to consider when a child wished themselves away, compounded by the wizarding factor; depending on what he found at the bank, there might be family willing to run for this wizard child taken from a disgustingly non-magical home.

As soon as the small, shaking hand was in his own, he let his magic wash around them, to transport them away. He felt wizarding wards trying to stop the child leaving the house, and with a malicious pleasure, he smashed them out of existence with a small tendril of his own power.

/x/

Albus Dumbledore jumped almost out of his skin, his quill marking a long black line across the parchment he had been writing on as a loud alarm sounded in his office. Throwing the quill down, he jumped to his feet, and hurried over to the shelf at the side of his office, seeing that one of the little gizmo’s he had had monitoring Harry Potter and his environs had been reduced to its component parts, indicating that the wards around 4 Privet Drive hadn’t just fallen, but had been obliterated, and the other, the one that tracked Harry if he moved outside the property line for any reason was dark, although the third was still active, showing that the boy lived.

Trying to hurry without looking like he was hurrying, hoping to avoid any of the staff asking questions, he headed out of the school, toward the gate, and the apparition point beyond it, he needed to find out what had happened and make sure Harry Potter was where he was meant to be, preferably without anyone finding out that he had been left with Lily Potter’s muggle family, he knew that would cause a riot, and he would find himself losing control of the boy in short order.

Everything looked quiet as he arrived, it certainly didn’t look like anything that could have brought the wards down had occurred, there was no visible damage, no hint of dark or aggressive magic.

Striding up to the front door, he rang the bell, surprised when the door was opened by a young woman he didn’t recognized.

“I’m looking for Petunia or Vernon Dursley,” he said bluntly.

“Sorry, they’re not here, I’m the baby sitter.”

“I want to see Harry.”

“There is no Harry here, only Dudley, there’s no one else in the house.”

Dumbledore glanced passed her and saw the overweight child peeping around a doorframe inside, there was no way that was Harry, he knew they didn’t give the boy nearly enough food to attain that size.

A car pulled up, and he saw the Dursleys get out, Vernon stomping toward him, his face already purpling.

“We already told you we don’t want your kind here, get out of here,” he snarled threateningly.

“I want to see Harry, now,” Dumbledore replied, unperturbed, this overblown muggle was no threat to him.

“I already told him that there was no one called Harry here,” the young baby sitter said.

“Thank you Alice, why don’t you take Dudders into the kitchen for some ice cream, we’ll deal with this,” Petunia told her with a patently false smile.

Alice gave them a mildly suspicious look and went back inside, ushering Dudley toward the back of the house.

“Where is Harry?” Dumbledore demanded.

“Look here old man, when you left him here, you told us he was ours to deal with until he was eleven and you could come and take him back to your freak world, you promised us you wouldn’t interfere. If you’re going to start breaking that promise already, then we won’t be obliged to keep our part, he’ll be out on the street like the trash he is before you can blink, and we won’t tell you where we dump him. Get off our property or we’ll make sure you never see him again,” Petunia hissed venomously, she had heard mumblings from the weirdos they met in the street when she was forced to take the brat anywhere, she knew he was important to the wizards.

In the kitchen, Alice sent off a quick text to her father, a CID officer at the local police station, she didn’t like what she was hearing here, she wondered if they realized their voices were still audible from where she was.

/x/

Jareth and his young charge materialized inside Gringotts, within the office that was Jareth’s own when he had to come above to deal with bank business. Directing the young boy to a chair before his desk, he moved around to sit in his own chair and with a flick of his fingers, summoned a crystal sphere, dropping it into a slot beside the desk. Moments later there was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” he called out, looking over as the current manager, Ragnok came into the room.

“Ragnok, this is a wizarding child, he is unable to tell me his name, or his age,”

“Harry Potter!” Ragnok blurted, before paling as he realized he had spoken over his king, he immediately prostrated himself on the floor.

“Oh, do stop that Ragnok, that is one question answered then, his age?” Jareth asked.

“If I recall correctly, he will be five at the end of this month, sire,” Ragnok replied, rising.

“Potter,” Jareth mused, he had very little to do with the day to day business of the bank, but he was aware that Potter was one of the better established accounts with the bank, he wondered why their child was half starved, beaten and abused, living in a cupboard.

“Did his parents have wills on file?”

“They did, but they were sealed by the Wizengamot, the day after the attack on Godric’s Hollow.”

“Were the wills registered with the Ministry, or with the bank?”

“They were registered with the bank, your Majesty.”

“Then the Ministry seal is not legal, and could be considered a breach of the treaty. Send out the notifications for the reading of the wills, I need to know if there is anyone listed who could make a run.”

“A wish away?” Ragnok breathed, horrified.

“I will be taking Harry Underground, I want all files from the Potter accounts from the night that the Potters died to now, an audit of all transactions, and if there are any keys with anyone not entitled to hold them once the wills are read, recall them immediately.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Ragnok bowed.

“You are dismissed.”

Ragnok backed out of the room, and Jareth looked back to Harry Potter, seeing he was watching the departing Goblin with interest, but no hint of fear or revulsion.

“Come along Harry, time to get you to the Goblin Kingdom,” he said, rising and holding his hand out once more.

As soon as they arrived in the castle, Jareth sent Harry off with one of the Goblin women to be fed, bathed and healed. He looked at the goblins cavorting around the throne room and snapped his fingers.

“Clinker, I have a task for you.”

One of the goblins skidded to a halt in front of his throne.

“Clinker is here, King.”

“You will go to 4 Privet Drive, the address young Harry Potter wished himself away from. Do not allow yourself to be seen, there may be human wizards around. I want to know everything that happens there.”

“Clinker obeys, King.”

As soon as the goblin disappeared, Jareth formed an orb and threw it out of the window, summoning another of his subjects.

10 minutes later there was a swirl of colour before his throne, and a blond man appeared, already kneeling.

“Rise, Lucius.”

“Your Majesty, how may I serve?” Lucius Malfoy asked, rising to his feet.

Jareth leaned back in his throne, studying the halfling for a moment, son of a lesser Fae who had fallen for and run away with a mortal wizard, Lucius Malfoy could easily pass unquestioned in the Court, he wondered fleetingly how he explained his more ethereal aspects to the witches and wizards around him before dismissing it for the more pressing matter at hand.

“Speak to me of Harry Potter.”

“Harry Potter, credited with the defeat of the dark wizard Voldemort, after Voldemort murdered his parents,” Lucius said, his hand moving involuntarily to where the Dark Mark branded his arm.

“He hasn’t been seen since that Halloween night, Albus Dumbledore hid him away, claiming that he feared reprisals from Voldemort’s followers. No one knows where he placed him, but there are rumours that he is being prepared for the duties that will accompany his eventual return to the wizarding world.”

“Any other rumours?”

“None that I have heard your Majesty, however I have to be cautious about asking, I am still viewed with suspicion, even though my service to _him_ was not willing.”

“Ah yes, your father’s betrayal of the vows he made to your mother, that will have to be dealt with, you are mine, and I will not have you serving another. Your arm, Lucius.”

Lucius bared his arm and knelt before the throne, presenting his arm for inspection. Jareth gripped his arm firmly, studying the threads of magic forming the ugly mark.

“Yes, simple enough,” he murmured, summoning a crystal, he rolled it over the mark, the foreign magic being drawn into the crystal.

When he lifted the crystal away from Lucius’ skin, the arm was unmarked, and a ghostly black skull was suspended inside the crystal, the snake attempting to strike at his fingers, but trapped within the sphere.

“Daggit, drop this in the bog, be very, very careful not to break it,” Jareth ordered, passing the crystal sphere to one of the more reliable goblins in the throne room.

Once the goblin and the crystal ball were gone, Jareth turned his attention back to Lucius.

“Are you aware of any other family that the Potters had?”

“No, Majesty, James Potter’s parents were dead prior to that, and Lily Potter was muggleborn, any family she had would be muggles, and not suited to the raising of a wizard child. I am given to understand that there was a familial adoption performed to form a Godfather bond with Sirius Black, but he is in Azkaban for multiple murders, and he was the last of the Blacks.”

“Interesting. Would it surprise you to learn that Harry Potter is here, Lucius?”

“Here?”

“Yes, he wished himself away earlier today. I collected him from a disgustingly non-magical house, where I found him locked in a small cupboard, bruised and half starved.”

“He is to become a resident of the Kingdom then?” Lucius asked.

“Perhaps, I have some leeway in this situation. Go back, keep your eyes and ears open, I did not remove memory of him from that world, so I wish to know what is said about his disappearance, and when.”

“By your command, your Majesty.”

/x/

Albus was fuming by the time he returned to the school, that blasted girl who had been minding the Dursley boy had involved the police, and now there was an investigation being launched into the Dursleys because there was no sign of another child in their home, aside from a tiny cupboard that their science people had found blood in, he couldn’t even obliviate them and send them on their way, because he didn’t know who else he would need to get to, so now he gave it a day at most before some police officer with ties to the wizarding world heard the name of the missing boy and the Aurors got involved.

“Elf,” he snarled, dropping down angrily into his chair.

“Inform the staff, there will be a staff meeting in thirty minutes,” he ordered the elf that appeared.

“Yes Headmaster,” the elf said, popping out again.

Albus stuck a lemon drop in his mouth, trying to figure out how the hell he was going to handle this, Harry bloody Potter was missing, no one was going to be thrilled that he had left the child with muggles at all, but Minerva had warned him that the muggles were a bad sort, and he knew Severus was not unfamiliar with Petunia, so they were likely to be livid.

He made a note to himself to go to the bank first thing in the morning, he was listed as Magical Guardian, so the goblins should be at least able to tell him if the boy was really still alive, as his monitor still suggested. He had to be alive, he needed Harry Potter to be a figurehead in the new world he wanted to see come into being.

He still swept into the staff room in time for the meeting, taking his place at the head of the table.

“Earlier today, the wards guarding the home where Harry Potter was being raised were destroyed. Harry Potter is missing, there is no sign of any kind of attack, however the muggle law enforcement are now involved, it seems that in an effort to keep Harry’s location secret and safe, the Dursley family had made sure no one knew he was living there. When I arrived and asked after the child, the young woman looking after the Dursley boy called the police as she had been unaware of another child in residence, and he was not in the house,” he made no mention of abuse, the cupboard or the blood, hoping no one would question the obvious holes in what he had just told them.

“How could there be no sign at all of a second child living in the home? If she was looking after one, surely she would be looking after both. And by Dursley, do you mean that despicable bigot that Lily’s equally despicable sister tied herself to?” Severus drawled, dark eyes nailing the headmaster, he had known something was off when he had received a message from the bank earlier demanding his presence at the reading of the Potters wills, wills that Albus had said did not exist. Judging by the sour look on Minerva’s face, she had similar misgivings.

“I warned you they were not suitable guardians for Harry,” Minerva said, her lips pinched.

“Now Minerva, we don’t know that the Dursleys did anything wrong, the wards were destroyed, it could just as easily have been a death eater, seeking vengeance for his master finally locating young Harry,” he told her.

“Oh yes, and they did so only destroying the wards, not injuring or killing the other people in residence, one of whom was a babysitter, who was only aware of the existence of one child. The truth Albus, now,” Minerva demanded.

“There was a suggestion that Harry had been locked in a cupboard, but nothing is known for sure yet.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Severus asked.

“We need to start looking for him, it won’t be long before the Aurors get involved, we need to find him before then, so that we can make sure he doesn’t end up in the wrong hands, if he isn’t already. Severus, can you ask questions among your former comrades, see if any of them are bragging about taking the child?”

“No. You declared to all and sundry that I had been your spy, and while I appreciate that doing so saved me from a very long visit in Azkaban, any of his die hard followers, of the type who would be still seeking to avenge _him_ now, would likely kill me the moment I started asking questions.”

“We must find him Severus, he’s a four year old boy,” Albus pointed out.

“Then you should have given him to someone more suitable to raise him. There must have been someone, _anyone_ who would have been a better choice than them.”

“Not who would have been able to keep him from the eyes of our world.”

“I will see what I can find out, but I will not risk my life asking questions.”

“You took a vow to protect young Harry, Severus.”

“When he came to Hogwarts, he is some years from that yet. I will do what I can, do not ask more.” Severus said, sweeping from the room.

“Severus,” he heard Minerva call out to him as he stormed along the corridor, so he turned to look at her.

“You know them, the Dursleys?” she asked when she drew level with him.

“Yes, Petunia Evans was a jealous, vituperative shrew who made Lily’s life a misery from the moment she found out her little sister was a witch and she wasn’t. I sometimes wonder if Lily married Potter so fast simply to get away from her sister, it was Lily who told me that Vernon Dursley was a bigoted bully who was far too free with his temper. They would have made life for a magical child a living hell, assuming they didn’t outright kill him.”

“I told him not to leave Harry there, I only spent one day watching them, and knew it was a bad idea. We have to find him, Albus is correct on that, but what then, Albus will just want to send him back there, and as his magical guardian, he can block him being sent anywhere else,” she sighed.

“Worry about that if and when he is found. Have you received a summons from Gringotts Minerva?”

“No, why?”

“I have, for the reading of the Potters wills.”

“He said there were no wills.”

“I know. What else has he deceived us, and the Wizarding world, about?”

“Well, perhaps you will have more answers to that after the reading. You are going, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am, you don’t disregard a formal summons from Goblins if you wish to ever be able to access your vault again,” he snorted.

“And searching for young Harry?”

“As I told Albus, I will do what I can,” he said turning and walking away.

There was no way he could risk asking questions among Voldemort’s followers directly, but Lucius might be willing to keep an ear open for him. It was far more likely that if any of them had taken the boy, they would brag about it to the Dark Lord’s supposedly loyal right hand man.

Pulling out his pocket watch, he cursed softly, he didn’t have much time to get to the bank, he was going to have to hustle to get to the apparition point. He hurried his steps down to the entrance hall, summoning his cloak to him as he crossed the empty chamber to avoid wasting time returning to his quarters.

/x/

Severus jogged up the front steps of the bank, avoiding the busy teller lines and crossing the marble lobby to where a Goblin in a uniform trimmed with green stood, knowing that this one was a floor supervisor, higher ranking that the tellers.

“Excuse me, I am Severus Snape, I have been summoned to a will reading,” he said respectfully, presenting the parchment.

The Goblin eyed the parchment, then nodded, gesturing to a door that was in the alcove behind him.

“Through there, Mr Snape, enter the parchment in the slot to the left of door three to register your arrival,” he said brusquely, handing the parchment back.

“Thank you,” Severus nodded, taking it and passing through the door, finding door three and slipping the parchment into the slot as directed. The door glowed, the magic registering his attendance, and swung open to admit him to the room.

He stepped inside, not really surprised to see Remus Lupin sitting there, he took a seat well away from him, forcing himself not to sneer, seeming speciesist within the walls of Gringotts would be a monumentally stupid idea. He was surprised by who wasn’t here, the Weasleys weren’t here, he already knew Minerva hadn’t been summoned, and it seemed that Dumbledore hadn’t been either.

The Goblin sitting at the desk at the front of the room looked at the two men and sighed, picking up the list of people who should be here to receive bequests and moving to stand by a crystal sphere near the door.

“Black, Sirius; Incarcerated. Longbottom, Alice; Incapacitated. Longbottom, Francis; Incapacitated. Lupin, Remus; in attendance. Pettigrew, Peter; Disinherited. Potter, Harrison; underage. Snape, Severus; in attendance,” he spoke clearly, and after each one the sphere glowed, registering each statement in the record for the will reading. As he spoke the last one, the door clicked shut, sealing closed until they were done.

Remus was staring intently at the Goblin as he moved back to his desk.

“May I ask, why was Peter listed as disinherited, not deceased?”

“He is not deceased, his vault is still operative, if currently unused, and his will has not unsealed for reading. He failed to appear for the reading without valid reason, and is therefore disinherited. We will begin with the will of James Potter,” the Goblin said, unfolding the first sheaf of parchments.

“I James Charlus Potter declare in sound mind and body that this is my last will and testament, superseding all previous wills, filed and registered with Gringotts bank on the date of October 5th, 1981.

To Peter Pettigrew I leave 10,000 Galleons, and our thanks for being willing to take over the role of Secret Keeper.

To Siri, my brother in all but blood, I leave the contents of Vault 2807, all our research, go give Zonko’s some competition, stay out from under your family’s thumb.

To Remus Lupin, I leave Woodbine cottage and 20,000 Galleons, the cottage is in a warded magical forest, so you will be safe to run.

To Severus Snape, I leave 10,000 Galleons, and a letter that I sincerely hope you will read and not burn it the moment it comes into your hand.

All other vaults and properties, I leave to my wife Lily, to hold in trust until our son Harry reaches the age of majority and attains the Potter Lordship.

Should Lily predecease me, or otherwise fail to outlive me, all properties and vaults should be sealed until Harry comes of age and attains the Potter Lordship, except for vault 3025, which is set aside for Harry’s schooling and allowance during his school years, and vault 2997, a living vault to be accessed by Harry’s custodian for all necessary expenses incurred in the raising of a child.

Custody of Harry in the first instance should be awarded to his Godfather, Sirius Black. Should Sirius be unable to fulfil this duty, then custody, in order of preference should be awarded to Frank and Alice Longbottom, we have seen them with Neville, and we know they would raise Harry with love, or Severus Snape, who may not like me but I have no doubt that despite all that has been the past, would fight like a demon to protect Lily’s child.

Under no circumstances should Harry be given into the custody of the Weasley family, I do not deny they are loving parents, but they have enough children of their own, and I fear Harry would be lost in the shuffle. Custody should not be given to Albus Dumbledore, while I believe he may have the best interest of the Wizarding world as a whole in mind, he sometimes seems to forget that the Wizarding world is made up of individual people. Custody is in no way shape or form to be given to Lily’s muggle family, they have no respect, understanding or tolerance for our world, or the people in it.

Signed in Blood, James Charlus Potter.

Witnessed Lily Anne Potter, Francis Alexander Longbottom.”

The Goblin folded the parchments and set them aside, picking up another set, much smaller than the first.

“I Lily Anne Potter declare in sound mind and body that this is my last will and testament, superseding all previous wills, filed and registered with Gringotts bank on the date of October 5th, 1981.

I have very little of my own to leave, beyond some personal words of farewell to someone I wronged. I am sorry Severus, I should have forgiven you the words you spoke that day the first time you apologized, I knew they were not meant in truth, but spoken in hurt and anger, but I allowed my own pig headed pride to ruin the friendship we had shared. Even James thought I was foolish to have let it fester so long. I hope you will one day extend me the forgiveness I unkindly withheld from you.

To Remus Lupin, I leave my research journals, they will automatically appear in the library of Woodbine Cottage when you sign to accept the bequest.

To Peter Pettigrew, I leave a warning; if James or I dies because Voldemort has found us, I will find a way to make you pay. James and Sirius may trust you, but I think your animagus form was well earned.

If James has predeceased me, leaving me custodian of the Potter estates until our son Harry comes of age to take the Lordship, then as per his will, the vaults and properties are all to be sealed with the exceptions of vault 3025, which is set aside for Harry’s schooling and allowance during his school years, and vault 2997, a living vault to be accessed by Harry’s custodian for all necessary expenses incurred in the raising of a child.

Custody of Harrison James Potter should in the first instance be given to his Godfather Sirius Black. Should Sirius be unable to take this duty on, custody should be awarded to Frank and Alice Longbottom, or Severus Snape.

Custody is not to be offered to the Weasley family, they have a large enough family, and I am concerned about Molly Weasley’s motivations in the hints she has been dropping regarding our son, and the daughter she is carrying. Custody is not to be awarded to Albus Dumbledore, I do not believe he has the best interests of my child in mind at all. Under no circumstances what so ever should custody of Harry be given to any member of my muggle family, they have no respect, understanding or tolerance for our world, or the people in it.

Signed in Blood, Lily Anne Potter

Witnessed James Charlus Potter, Francis Alexander Longbottom.”

The Goblin folded that parchment too, putting it with James’ will, and then pushed forms toward the two men.

“Sign here to accept your bequests.”

The two sat in stunned silence for a long moment, then Remus reached out with a shaking hand and signed his form, dazedly taking the package of deeds and keys he was given, along with a statement that the funds had been credited to his vault. He couldn’t believe what he had heard here, Peter wasn’t dead, he had been the secret keeper, not Sirius. He was going to have to go and see Siri, find out why he hadn’t just told the Aurors instead of going after Peter himself and taking out a street full of muggles.

He barely heard a word as Snape spoke to the Goblin.

“If I sign this, would it include the issue of custody for Harry Potter?” he asked.

“You are the only remaining chosen recipient available. Do you wish to renounce custody?”

“I do _not_ wish to renounce custody, however there are issues, obstacles that may be difficult to overcome.”

“What obstacles?”

“Albus Dumbledore placed Harry Potter with Lily’s muggle family on the 1st of November 1981. Today, the wards on the property were destroyed, Harry Potter is missing, the muggle police are currently investigating, as there are signs his care was not what we might like. Should we find him, and I take custody, Dumbledore would interfere immediately, I am beholden to him, if he recants his statement that I was a spy against the Dark Lord during the war I would find myself very quickly in a cell beside Black, and Harry would once again be in his control.”

“Hmm, I believe you are acquainted with a formidable Law Wizard, and member of the Wizengamot. I suggest you confer with him, and get things in place so that when Mr Potter is found, you can assume custody without interference from Mr Dumbledore.”

Severus still hesitated to put his name to the paper.

“It will be known, when the wills are released to the Prophet, I fear it would endanger him more, before he is found.”

“The wills are not going to be released to the Daily Prophet, only the information that they have been read will be made available. The Wizengamot seal is good for that much, they had no right to prevent the reading of wills registered with the bank, but we can use it to prevent publication.”

Severus hesitated for one moment more, and then signed it, receiving in return a second form for the custody agreement. He signed that too, and was handed the custody papers, Harry’s vault keys, James’ letter and the bequest deposit statement.

“Can I have a copy of these please, and seal the originals in my vault?” he asked, indicating the custody papers. The Goblin nodded and tapped the papers twice, there was a flash of light, the originals going to Severus’ vault, and the copy put with his other paperwork.

“Thank you. Is there anything else we need to do?” he asked.

“No, do you have any questions.”

“Actually, yes, can you tell the status of heir Potter? As I said, he went missing this morning.”

“Heir Potter registers as alive, there is nothing more the bank can tell you,” the Goblin said. Not a lie, he knew exactly where the boy was, but what happened next was up to the King, and what he made of this wizard.

“Thank you,” Severus said again, rising to his feet, aware of the still silent werewolf also pushing to his feet.

He strode out of the bank, deciding to head to the apparition point, he needed to talk to Lucius, but Lupin caught up with him before he was half way there.

“Snape, wait, please.”

“What, wolf?”

“I…they said the wills won’t be published, if it comes to it, if I find there was good reason for what Sirius did that night, will you stand witness to what they said, that Siri wasn’t the Secret Keeper, that Lily didn’t trust Peter?”

“Why would I?”

“Please…I know he was an unmitigated bastard to you in school, but if that much was a lie, what else was a lie about that night. He might be an ass sometimes, but that doesn’t merit an Azkaban sentence.”

Severus was about to tell the wolf that he wouldn’t help Black if he was on fire, when he hesitated. He already knew that Albus had been horribly dishonest regarding that whole event, would he have allowed an innocent man to be thrown in that miserable hole? Of course he would, a part of his mind sneered, he had left Severus himself there for a month before vouching for him, to make sure he got what he wanted out of him.

“I will consider it, provided that Lucius can prevent me ending up in a cell beside Black for gaining custody of Lily’s son, and provided Black doesn’t think I will give that custody up to him. I wouldn’t trust him to mind himself unattended, never mind a small child.”

“Did Albus really leave Harry with Lily’s awful sister?”

“He did, the muggle police found blood in the cupboard where they had seemingly been keeping the boy.”

“Bastard. Alright, assuming this works out, and Sirius ends up with at the very least a lesser sentence, I’ll make sure he doesn’t try to fight you on custody.”

“Do not owl me at the school, I would not want Albus to know we were communicating. In fact, do not contact me at all unless I contact you first and give you a safe mail drop.”

“Understood, I do appreciate you thinking about it.”

Severus snorted and turned on his heel, walking away to the apparition point, he just hoped Narcissa wasn’t around, he knew she was almost as fanatical as her sister about the Dark Lord, she would love any opportunity to get her hands on the boy who had vanquished her Lord.

/x/

Arriving at Malfoy manor, Severus was escorted to the Lord of the manor’s study by a house elf. Lucius looked up as he came into the room.

“Severus, I wasn’t expecting you today,” he said mildly.

“No, I know, we need to talk, confidentially.”

“That’s fine, my _darling_ wife and her son are away, they won’t be back for at least a month. What’s wrong?”

“I need your help, actually, I need rather a lot of your help, professionally and personally,” Severus sighed.

“What could you possibly need a Law Wizard for?”

“I’ve just come from Gringotts, they told me something that could potentially set me against Albus Dumbledore, and see me back in Azkaban,” he said.

Severus immediately found himself the recipient of Lucius Malfoy’s full attention, mercury eyes intent on him.

“Tell me, everything,” he said firmly, closing the door and erecting a privacy ward with a wave of his hand. Severus startled at the display of wandless magic, he hadn’t seen his lover do that in years.

By the time Severus had finished telling him everything that had happened that day, Lucius had filled several sheets of parchment with notes, and was studying him thoughtfully.

“First things first, the boy is safe, and currently out of everyone’s reach, I think it best it stays that way until we deal with the issue of Dumbledore’s false claims to magical guardianship, and make sure he can’t do anything to you for taking him.”

“What do you mean the boy is safe? Lucius, do you know where he is?”

“Yes, I can’t tell you, but you have my word that he is safe there, under the protection of someone that has no fear of Dumbledore, or the Dark Lord’s remaining servants either for that matter.”

“So where do we start?” Severus asked.

“Getting you out from under Dumbledore’s threats of a return to Azkaban, can you quit your post at the school?”

“No, my contract is binding, I made a vow to protect Lily’s son, so my contract holds me there until he is done with his schooling. He had it written by a Goblin, so there’s no way around it.”

“A Goblin contract,” Lucius looked up, surprised, he wouldn’t have thought Dumbledore would entrust the writing of a contract to a creature he saw as inferior, no matter what lies he told on the subject.

“He wanted to make sure it had no loopholes I could wriggle through,” Severus shrugged.

“All contracts have loopholes, if you know how to find them Sev,” Lucius told him quietly, of course, the loophole in a Goblin contract was a doozy, you had to appeal to the king, and to appeal to the king, you had to know he existed.

“Do you even want the boy, if he’s located and brought back?” Lucius asked bluntly.

Severus sighed and sat back in his chair, actually thinking about it, did he want the boy, could he raise him, give him a decent life? He fingered the letter in his pocket, the one Potter had left for him, he hadn’t read it yet, but he suspected it was an apology, and Potter had trusted him, even with the bad blood between them, Lily had trusted him too.

“Yes,” he finally said, genuinely meaning it.

There was a crack of thunder and the room darkened for a moment, and when the light returned to normal, another man stood, regal and terrifying, to the left of Lucius’ chair.

Instinct prevented his automatic reach for his wand as Lucius slid from his chair and went down on one knee, bowing his head, and he was already echoing the move as Lucius greeted this being.

“Your Majesty.”

“Rise,” Jareth said, claiming Lucius’ chair behind the desk as Lucius moved around to stand beside Severus.

“Your Majesty, may I present Potions Master Severus Snape,” Lucius spoke deferentially, a tone Severus had never even heard when he was addressing Voldemort, so whoever this was, the blonds respect for him was genuine, not forced as it had been with the Dark Lord.

“Potions Master Severus Snape, assigned custodian of Harry Potter. You have spoken with truth in your heart, that you are willing to raise the child, will you Run for the right to do so?”

“Run, your Majesty?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yes Run, Severus Snape, will you run my Labyrinth for Harry Potter?”

Ice water replaced the blood in Severus’ veins as he realized just who was sitting so calmly behind his lover’s desk, watching him with inhuman eyes.

“You’re the Goblin King,” he breathed, a myth, a legend, a fairy story told by parents to make their children behave, not so mythical after all.

A sharp toothed grin greeted that realization, Jareth did so like it when people remembered the legends.

“Very good, so, will you Run, or are you content to leave the child to my realm?”

“I’ll do it,” Severus croaked, his mouth dry.

Another crash of thunder, and he was gone, Lucius looked at his King with wide eyes, and Jareth’s smile gentled slightly.

“I will not do your lover deliberate harm, young Malfoy, and should he defeat my Labyrinth, I will free him, as I freed you. Now, you have work to do on legal affairs, and I have a Run to oversee,” Jareth said, vanishing again.

Lucius felt his knees give way, and he collapsed down into the chair where Severus had been sitting. He truly hoped Severus would make it through the Labyrinth, although he did have one advantage that most runners lacked, Severus had long ago learned that life wasn’t fair.

tbc


End file.
